Mazzy’s father is chasing his dream, a career as an ESPN anchor. Her mother won’t get out of bed. Left to fend for herself and her severely depressed mother, Mazzy gets by day to day insisting “everything is fine.” She flirts with the boy next door, uses oranges to pad her bra, and eats microwaved marshmallows for dinner.

Told from Mazzy’s terse (both elegant and short) point of view, this brilliant story slowly reveals the tragedy that drove this family apart. My heart ached for days after reading this. But it’s Mazzy that I loved, her mother that I ultimately forgave, and her father that infuriated me. There is a teen that frequents my library. Her mother (single, the father long gone) is anorexic. This book gave me a glimpse of what it must be like for a young child burdened with the health of a parent.